Apple's big AI play is looking less promising

• Early reviews of iOS 18 beta suggest Apple Intelligence may not make a big splash in 2024.
• Apple showcased a revamped Siri, an image generator, and new text tools at WWDC 2024.
• It will have to deliver on the AI front if it wants to stay on top, analysts said.

A souped-up Siri and email summaries might not be enough to put Apple ahead in the AI arms race.

Early reviews of the iOS 18 beta are in, and it sounds like Apple Intelligence might not wow consumers when it's released to the public later this year. Analysts have hailed the upcoming launch as the key to sparking an iPhone upgrade boom. After all, Apple Intelligence will only be fully available on iPhone 15 models or later.

But, the hype drummed up at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June is diminishing with this beta version of Apple's AI software, Bloomberg reported.

At the conference, Apple demonstrated an array of Apple Intelligence capabilities, including an AI-powered Siri, an image generator, AI-generated emojis, and other features that would make any iPhone owner's life easier. Since then, the official release has been delayed from the launch of iOS 18 in September.

Apple CEO Tim Cook was tight-lipped about which features would be the first to roll out during Thursday's earnings call, but the beta might provide some clues.

According to Bloomberg, the first iOS 18 beta includes AI features like summaries and reply suggestions in the Messages and Mail apps, a more relaxed version of Do Not Disturb called Reduce Interruptions Focus, Writing Tools, and the brand-new Siri.

Genmojis and the Image Playground are notably missing from this version.

The new-and-improved Siri will prompt a glowing ring around the device when activated, and will allow users to type their queries. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said it's a "nice upgrade" from the Siri we've all become familiar with over the past decade or so.

Other than the Siri tweaks and the Writing Tools that can proofread or rewrite text, Gurman said there wasn't much there that would prompt an iPhone 14 Pro owner to upgrade to an iPhone 15 or 16.

Analysts have backed Apple's steps into AI, but the tech giant is still behind competitors. While the full capability of Apple Intelligence won't be available until 2025, Samsung and Google customers already have impressive AI features on their devices.

If a golden upgrade cycle is truly on the horizon, Apple will have to rely on its loyal user base and meet the lofty expectations for Apple Intelligence.